Thursday, August 21, 2014

August 18, 2014

Hermana Van Cott and twins of an investigator. Not sure which is which.

The hill is alive with the sound of moooosic!!

Dear people who are nice to me,

This week has been fun and crazy. I think I have reached the point in the mission where I just want to roll over and die. I need a second wind! ha. Thankfully we have Pday for that exact reason and after a good nap today I should be rolling again. Here are the journal entries from this week, enjoy!

Monday.

Today we went back to the creepiest part of our sector. The thing I love the most about the misión is that everyone is named Raul. Just kidding. But tonight we got BOMBARDED with names of people. We met a family who are relatives of an active family in the branch. Then we went to find Raul, an investigator, and in the process talked to 3 of his siblings that live nearby. It was awesome to meet so many people in such a short time.

Tuesday.

District class was great. I loved when we talked about our goals and how we did with them during the week and the elders all laughed when our district leader said ¨Not bad…and this is WITH the Hermanas being sick a few days!¨ I might have grinned slightly. Hehe.

Wednesday.

Today we got to travel to a doctors appointment for my comp. The fantastic news that made me the happiest camper was that our main train line was cut a Little before our station to a few stations after. So, instead of the 45 minute journey it turned into about 2 hours of public transportation hell. Really, I decided that the devil laughs when he sees people packed like pigs to the slaughter in a bus because he knows ain´t nobody got good feelings there! Amongst the body oder, the creepy men staring us up and down, and all of the grunts and mysterious hard boiled egg gas releases from my new friends´quick breakfast on the way to work…there were a few moments of joy. For example, there was the evangelical guitar playing Singer who sang a really fun up beat song about Jesus being our Savior. I couldn´t help but tap my toe and feel happy. I gave him a pass along card with the picture of Jesus Christ knocking at the door and told him thanks for sharing his message.

We also helped two singing entrepreneurs have a fan base. We talked to them for a second at the station and then when we boarded promised that we would clap for them. The people sitting next to us began to smile when we clapped, which was a good change from their Ï hate the world¨faces. After the next song we had more people clapping.

So, maybe it wasn´t necessarily sharing the gospel and preaching from the platform, but I couldn´t help but feel happy for those 3 people out of thousands who were happy. Then I was happy that they would share their happiness and help me to be happy. Then how that happiness spread and helped others, too. It´s really what missionary work is. Being happy, helping others be happy, and helping them help others be happy. This is nota ll that profound. I just am happy. Good night.

Thursday.

Today we decided to leave first thing in the morning so that we could see some people who are hard to find in the afternoon. The less active family that we are helping gave us the address of their grandma, who is also baptized. We went and visited her and she told us that she would love to go back to church and she wants us to teach her grandchildren that are living with her. My whole misión I have been amazed at how the Lord prepares people and how he leads us to them. There is ALWAYS someone in our path. That person might not always want to keeeeep progressing, but we are there in the precise momento for a reason.

Friday.

Today we saw MIRACLES. First of all.

Manuel. He is this man who we met one day when our appointment fell through. We were walking with a member from our Ward and talking to her and out of the blue I saw Manuel and decided to give him a pass along card. My companion was a Little surprised and so was I because he looks like the type of man who cat calls us and makes us feel all squirmy. But, not at all. He´s great. We had a Little chat with him there and then haven´t passed by for a while. Tonight we saw him and we walked up to him and said ¨Hey, we´d be so happy if we could see you at church this Sunday!¨and then went on to have a wonderful lesson about how we are blessed when we obey god´s commandments. He wants to go to church and has even worked with a lot of people from our church before and has a lot of respect for them. Awesome awesome. I love it when we talk to people because of an impression and in the end we realize that they have been prepared to receive us. I have such a strong testimony of that.

We also had a lesson with Raul. He accepted a baptismal date while we taught the message of the restoration. We talked about the importance of the priesthood authority. He had some stellar connections to the Bible and was pulling out scriptures that went perfectly with the lesson from his memory. He says that ¨Without a doubt¨he will be baptized when he receives an answer. Now for the trial of his faith…we have to see if he takes sketchmobil bus to church.

Tomorrow we have interviews with President and Hermana Wright which means we are going to be in public transportation heck again. I hope we arrive with peace and happiness radiating from us. Haha.

Saturday.

Today we had our interviews. President gave us a challenge to write and study for 3 situations that would be a trial of our faith. For example: The death of a loved one, leaders not keeping the commandments, or a trail with our children. I was actually really excited to do that because I have seen so many examples here in the mission field of how people overcome trails and leave with their faith intact.

Well, tonight we had a meeting with our branch president. He asked me to give a talk tomorrow at church…like…at 9 o´clock PM the night before…and in Spanish…and I won´t have time for studies before church. I was assigned to speak about trials. I accepted and figured that if I was willing and supporting the branch president, the Lord would be able to work a miracle! Thankfully I had the impression to ask Dad last Monday for the talk about Pancho Villa and how the Mormon colonists supported the decision of their leader and were protected. I´m sure it was a trial of faith for some of them. Our branch is in the process of understanding the blessings and peace that come when we obey the commandments and the revelation that our leaders receive on behalf of the branch. Anywho, here´s to hoping it all goes well. I´m going to write a talk now.

Sunday.

I woke up stressed, but then I remembered I had at least written my talk last night. We got to the church and I hurried and practiced some hymns and read through my talk a few times so that I wouldn´t sound like a robot. I ended up talking about how we receive trails of our faith as we obey our leaders, pay our tithing, and live our lives. I shared the story about how Dad told me while we were living at Grandma Annie´s house that he was going to pay all that we had left to tithing and fast offerings. I remember him telling me that and feeling nervous and doubting a little. I then remember how the Lord provided and Dad shared with me the blessings that we had received for that trial of his faith. I am so grateful for the examples of my parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins and friends who trust in the Lord before anything else.

Well fambam and fellow citizens, that is the week in a nutshell. I love this work. I am extremely exhausted and don´t really have a sense of humor today, but I promise I will be more peppy next week! Thanks for the emails of encouragement.